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2 - The Creative Brain

A Developmental Snapshot

from Part I - Core Concepts of Lifespan Creativity Development

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 November 2021

By
Oshin Vartanian
Edited by
Sandra W. Russ ,
Jessica D. Hoffmann  and
James C. Kaufman
Sandra W. Russ
Affiliation:
Case Western Reserve University, Ohio
Jessica D. Hoffmann
Affiliation:
Yale University, Connecticut
James C. Kaufman
Affiliation:
University of Connecticut
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Summary

Over the last two decades we have begun to gain some traction on the neural systems that underlie creative cognition in young adults. Specifically, neuroimaging experiments have revealed that creativity across several domains arises from the interaction of two large-scale systems in the brain: whereas the default mode network (DMN) is involved in the generation of novel ideas, the executive control network (ECN) exerts top-down regulation on the generative process to ensure the production of task-appropriate output. However, much less is known about the contributions of the DMN and the ECN – including specific structures within each network – to creative cognition at various time points throughout development. In this chapter I will review the nascent but growing cross-sectional literature on the neurological bases of creativity in the adolescent and the aging brain, which together with data from young adults provides a snapshot into the developmental bases of creativity across the lifespan. I will also outline avenues for future research in order to develop more sophisticated models of the developing creative brain, including investigations into the trajectory of change in the cerebral cortex, as well as the dynamics of synaptogenesis in relation to creativity.

Keywords

adolescent brainaging brainsynaptogenesisneuroscience of creativity
Type
Chapter
Information
The Cambridge Handbook of Lifespan Development of Creativity , pp. 20 - 39
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2021

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